In a recent technique used for manufacturing semiconductor light emitting elements such as LED (light emitting diode), a stacked body including a light emitting portion is formed on a sapphire or other growth substrate. This manufacturing method is performed in the following procedure. On a substrate made of e.g. sapphire, a stacked body including a light emitting portion is grown. Next, a conductive substrate is bonded to a major surface of the stacked body on the opposite side from this growth substrate. Subsequently, the growth substrate is removed from the stacked body. Then, an electrode is formed on the surface of the stacked body exposed by the removal of the growth substrate. Another electrode is formed on the conductive substrate.
With regard to the above process, a laser lift-off method has been proposed as a method for removing the growth substrate from the stacked body. However, after removing the growth substrate, in the etching step for dividing the stacked body, the bonding metal for bonding the conductive substrate to the stacked body is exposed. This bonding metal, if scattered by partial peeling or overetching, may cause leak current.